Review: Advent K300 notebook computer

When you think of a computer for children, the first thing that springs to mind might be one of those 'fake computer' devices designed for very young children, with a few buttons that make noises.

But children use 'real' computers from an early age, and it's not a bad idea to get them acquainted with a proper PC (or a Mac) as soon as possible.

Recognising this, Advent has come up with the K series of notebook computers, available exclusively through PC World. The K is for Kids, and the most obvious child-friendly feature is the changeable covers.

The basic models come with a cover into which a photo can be inserted (the cover screws down so the photo doesn't fall out) but it's also possible to buy football and other themed covers.

More importantly, at least as far as parents are concerned, every notebook also comes with a free half-hour consultation with a Tech Guys (PC World's technical help staff) specialist, either at purchase or at a later date. The idea is to take both parent and child through how the computer works, set up user accounts and configure the parental controls.

We think it's a great idea; while these features aren't too difficult to set up, how many of us have actually set up parental controls and user accounts for our children's computers? We went through the process at one of PC World's London stores, and were very impressed with the thoroughness of the advice. We can't, of course, vouch for the quality of the advice overall, unless this particular Tech Guy is doing all the consultations around the country, in which case he's going to be a busy fellow.

The computer we looked at, the K300, is at the top of the range, with an Intel Pentium Dual Core T2130 processor, 2GB of memory and a 120GB hard disk, all of which are impressive specifications at a price of £599. It has a 15.4in widescreen monitor, an ATI graphics card with 128MB of its own memory. The cheaper K computers have lower specifications, but all of them come with wireless network connectivity and a webcam, as well as Windows Vista Home Premium.

The K300 is sturdily built (although not to the extend of being able to withstand being dropped off a table, we'd have thought) but is reasonably light at 2.8kg. While it includes plenty of connections (Firewire, three USB ports, a memory card reader, DVD drive, network port and VGA and TV outputs) there's a no-frills feel once you open it, with just the keyboard, trackpad and screen visible.

The keyboard and trackpad are pleasant to use but as with most modern notebooks, the screen has no anti-glare coating, which improves contrast but is more susceptible to distracting reflections in bright light.

They all come with a year's subscription to Norton Internet Security, compared with the limited trial most new computers get. The K300 also comes with Microsoft's DVD-based encyclopedia Encarta 2007 and, impressively, Microsoft Office in its Home and Student edition.

That's an impressive software bundle that justifies part of the K300's price on its own. The fact that it's a powerful home computer with a decent amount of storage space makes it a very good deal.